Master of Instructional Leadership

This subject will critically examine the research evidence linking quality teaching with student outcomes within the context of contemporary educational theory, policy and practice. Of central interest will be the role of leadership, and in particular approaches to instructional leadership, in promoting, developing and providing quality teaching and student learning. Key aspects include successful change management, effective teacher professional learning and the importance of evidence and data. Candidates will conduct a self-assessment of their capabilities against the research literature on effective instructional leadership and the National Professional Standard for Principals (AITSL). This subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals.

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This subject is designed around the assumption that assessment practice and policy is a central component in successful school leadership and instructional decision making, and that assessment practice is a key tool for driving school improvement. Participants will explore a developmental approach to assessment, how this can be implemented in the classroom, and how assessment can be used at individual student level, at class-coordinator level, and at school leadership level. Participants will be engaged in reviewing approaches to student assessment, teacher use of assessment to make instructional decisions, and leadership use of assessment to inform curriculum, staffing, and school policy related matters. The subject will also consider how school leaders can work towards improving school assessment policy and practice. The subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals.

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The major focus of this course is how school leaders know that teachers and students are learning in positive ways throughout their school. Students will explore the current evidence base about what works best, what criteria can be developed to make decisions about success, how to develop a program logic for their leadership role, and how to evaluate the impacts of leadership decisions on both teachers’ and students’ learning. This subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals.

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The structure, organisation and culture of schools are critically explored through the conceptual tool of framing. Several frames are used to understand the typical forms schools take, and how people are organized in these forms. Re-framing, organizational behaviour, and successful school leadership conceptions provide the necessary conceptual lenses to critique school structure, organisation, and culture, whilst, several views of change management are used to explore why these forms are enduring, The subject also explore how schools can be transformed to respond to the contemporary learning needs of students. The ideas explored provide the foundation for developing school success within an instructional leadership orientation. This subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals.

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This subject is designed to support educators to develop an understanding of trauma-informed perspectives to guide their work in educational settings. Students will explore key educational frameworks that enable them to be trauma aware, including; Brunzell & Stokes (2019), Schimke et al. (2022) and Overstreet & Chafouleas (2016). The trauma informed positive education approach will be used to encourage students to engage in reflection of self and others, to study strength-based approaches to creating change in schools and to explore the social factors that influence education. This subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals and considers theory that guides self-reflection, self-improvement and self-development.

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This is the first of two subjects that Master of Instructional Leadership students complete as part of their (AQF) Capstone experience. The subject will provide an introduction to approaches to conducting evidence-based research in educational settings. This will include: guiding students through critical evaluation of relevant literature, the purposes and characteristics of qualitative and quantitative methodologies for data collection and the procedures and processes for executing a research project including ethical, design and analysis considerations, Students working in groups will develop short research proposals and present these proposals as part of the subject.

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This is the second of two subjects that Master of Instructional Leadership students complete as part of their [AQF] Capstone experience. Drawing on theory, knowledge and skills developed throughout the Master of Instructional Leadership students will implement an intervention or innovation designed to address an issue associated with instructional practice, or that will lead to improvements in teacher quality and student learning and achievement. As part of their project, students will be expected to document planning and implementation decisions, and also research the impact of the intervention on teachers and school students. The Capstone project will culminate with students synthesizing the findings of their research in a written form such as a journal article or report. A hurdle requirement for this subject is that students will also provide an oral presentation of their findings, which should incorporate a reflection on the key learnings and understandings they have gained from their studies in the Master of Instructional Leadership. This subject aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership National Professional Standard for Principals.

Note: Projects will be based on a set of topics that will be introduced in ‘EDUC90786 Leading Educational Research’.

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In this subject, students will develop an understanding of how to appraise and plan research in education and participate in reflective and critical discussion of current issues in research in education. Students will participate in a series of lectures and seminars, focusing on what constitutes research in education; the function of a literature review; methodologies and methods in education research; key issues in research ethics; management and analysis of data; and the fundamentals of research writing. Students will develop a research proposal for a substantial research project.

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In this subject, students gain experience in designing a substantial educational research investigation that could be subsequently used to inform the development of a research proposal within a higher research degree. Students negotiate to undertake the completion of a theoretically and methodologically defensible research proposal with assistance from an academic supervisor.

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